Refuse loading and compacting truck



Jan. 15, 1957 A. w. NELSON REFUSE LOADING AND coMPAcTING TRUCK Filed Oct. 18, 1954 REFUSE LOADlNG AND COMPACTING TRUCK Arthur W. Nelson, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application October 18, 1954, Serial No. 462,938

This invention relates to improvements in loading and compacting means for refuse trucks.

In loading a refuse truck with the conventional automatic lifting devices, wherein the refuse is carried from a pivoted tailgate hopper into the truck body, the stored refuse must be properly compacted and forced away from the hopper, if an adequate load is to be realized.

In the art, there are disclosed devices which incorporate refuse consolidating devices. However, in general the consolidation is achieved by complicated packing mechanisms conned to locations above or in alignment with the opening from the hopper to the truck interior. These mechanisms generally urge the refuse passing through the hopper opening towards the front of the truck. Due to the location of these mechanisms and in order to achieve an adequate consolidation of the refuse, a rather complicated device usually is required. Moreover due to the proximity of the packing mechanism to the hopper opening, any failure or stoppage would result in the blocking of the opening preventing the further egress of refuse from the hopper.

To obtain maximum eliiciency in the compacting operation, the packing mechanism should be operated periodically after the passage into the storage chamber of a predetermined quantity of refuse. Obviously it would be impractical to require the services of an operator to cause such periodic operation by manual means.

Thus for expediency, the packing mechanism should operate automatically to periodically consolidate the load` after the passage of a desired quantity of refuse from the hopper.

It is therefore the general object of this invention to provide a loading and compacting device for a refuse truck which will periodically consolidate the refuse towards the front of the truck without blocking the access from the hopper to the truck interior, and wherein the device is automatically actuated periodically to provide maximum consolidation on all of the stored refuse.

Another inventive object involves the provision of a refuse compacting mechanism automatically actuated periodically by and in synchronization with a mechanical refuse loader, wherein the compacting mechanism does not impede the flow of refuse from the loading hopper to the truck interior while providing an eicient compacting function on all of the stored refuse.

A further inventive object involves the provision of a refuse compacting mechanism automatically actuated periodically by and in synchronization with a motor powered refuse loader, wherein the compacting mechanism is located at the rear and bottom of the truck underlying the flow of refuse from the loading hopper to thel truck interior whereby all of the refuse is compacted towards the front of the truck without impeding the flow of refuse and/or allowing the accumulation ofl refuse in the truck rear.

A still further inventive object is the provision of a compacting mechanism for a refuse truck which is located suiciently beneath the liow of refuse from the hopper 2,777,593 Patented Jan. 15, 19'57 to the truck interior and which forces all of the stored refuse towards the front of the truck without impeding the ow of refuse into the truck interior.

Further objects and inventive details will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

Figure l is a vertical section through the rear of a refuse truck showing the loading and compacting organization; and

Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal section through the loader showing the motor operator and mechanical linkage therefor.

Referring now to Figure 1, the novel loading and compacting mechanism is seen to comprise a pivoted tailgate hopper 10 hinged at 12 to the top wall 11 along the rear end of a refuse truck. A'curved lower rear wall 13 projects vertically from the truck body base 14 providing a lower abutting surface 15 for the hopper wall 16. The wall 13 is located further rearward than the hinge 12 whereby the hopper is normally in a closed inclined position. The degree of inclination being suicient to provide an adequate supporting surface for the moving refuse without unnecessarily elongating the truck body. The base 14 extends to the rear suiciently to provide an additional supporting surface 17 for the wall 16. .A chuted aperture 18 is formed through the hopper wall 16 intermediate the surface 15 and the hinge 12 for the egress of refuse from the hopper.

Within the hopper chamber 19 is mounted a loading mechanism comprising the spaced shafts 20 and 21 rotatably mounted in the hopper walls 22 and 23 (Figure 2). Referring to Figure 2, the upper shaft Ztl is actuated by the motor 24 by such conventional means as a pulley 25. Spaced parallel sprockets 26 are ixedly mounted on the shaft 20. Shaft 21 is similarly provided with the sprockets 27. Endless chains 2S are operatively fitted about each of the opposing sprocket pairs 26 and 27 whereby rotary motion from the driving shaft 20 is transmitted to the chains 28 and the driven shaft 21.

Secured transversely at each end to the parallelly moving chains are refuse lifters 29. The lifters are properly spaced to uniformly move the refuse along the wall 16 until just beyond the aperture 18.

Formed at the lower end of the hopper 11B is the loading compartment 30 substantially transverse to the hopper chamber 19. The hopper wall 16 and the bottom wall 31 of the compartment Sil are joined by the curved transition wall 32. Refuse is deposited in the compartment 30 through an opening 33 having an arcuate bottom wall 34 for aiding the reception of the refuse.

The compacting mechanism comprises an outer housing 35 through which projects a hydraulic cylinder 37 mounted fxedly within the bored lower wall 36 of the housing. Within the hydraulic cylinder, a piston 38, having a diaphragm 39, is reciprocably mounted. The

v diaphragm 39 is dirnensioned to slide axially and sealingly in relation to the inner ycylinder surface in response to uid pressure 'diiferentials Fluid under pressure is admitted to the cylinder 37 through the fitting 40 to act on the underside of the diaphragm 39 and through the fitting 41 to act on the upper side of diaphragm 39. Piston 38 projects upwardly through the top 42 of the cylinT der and is provided with a head 43 dimensioned to tit through an opening 44 in the base 14. A packer 45 cornprising a hat plate pivotally secured at the inner end by the hinge 46 to the base 14 is located normally overly7 ing the opening 44. Thus when iiuid pressure causes the upward movement of the head 43 the packer 45 is forced to pivot about the hinge 46 resulting in an upward arcuate compacting action. To maintain a parallel contact surface with the packer 45, the piston head 43 is pivoted to the piston'38 with a hinge 47.

germes The fluid pressure which actuates the piston 38 is controlled by a conventional fluid distribution system which is responsive to the movement of the loading mechanism 'as is to be described. A

A piston housing 48 is mountednalong the hopper wall 49 and reciprocably provided therein is a piston valve t). Projecting from the inner end of the valve Si) is a rod 51 having a roller 52 mounted thereon. The piston valve is reciprocated sealingly within the housing 4S by contact from a button 53 projecting from the chain 2S at a predetermined point. When the button 53 is axially coincident with the roller 52 the piston valve 5i) is urged to the upper end of, the housing 4S. When the button 53 is not coincident with the roller 52, the piston willV gravitate to a lower position -within the housing. When in the upper position the valve 50 directs the flow of hydraulic uid from ducts 54 and 55 to provide a higher pressure on the underside of diaphragm 39 than the upper side of diaphragm 39 causing an upward motion of piston 33. lower position the tlow in ducts S4 and 55 is directed to create higher pressure on the upper side of the diaphragm 39 than on the lower side causing descending motion of piston 3S. The speciiic valving arrangement between valve 5t? and the pressure ducts 54 and 55 is not detailed herein since there are numerous conventional arrangements available and also since the novelty involved in the instant invention is not derived therefrom. Similarly the duid pressure source is not shown since any conventional variety may be utilized and does not comprise the novelty involved herein.

ln operation, refuse is deposited in the compartment and the motor 24 is excited. Rotary motion imparted to the shaft Ztl causes linear displacement of the chain 28 and the refuse litters 29 parallel to the hopper axis. As each litter 29 passes the compartment 30, refuse is carried around the bottom wall 32 and up `the inclined wall 16 until coincident with the aperture 18 whereupon the refuse falls upon the packer 45. After a specic quantity of refuse has been deposited upon the packer, button 53 actuates the valve 50 to the upper position. With the valve so positioned, fluid pressure ows to the cylinder 37 through the tting 40 whereas uid pressure on the upper side of diaphragm 39 is exhausted through iitting di. Thus with an upward pressure differential created, the head 43 moves upward through the hole da forcing the packer to move arcuately about the hinge 46. Consequently the refuse above the packer and/ or in front of the packer is lifted and forced towards the front ot the truck. inasmuch as the packer is situ- .ated at the extreme lower and rearward portion of the truck body, all the stored refuse is subjected to the forward arcuate packing action. In previous devices, due to the packers being either elevated relative to the truck vbase or spaced from the rear wall, some refuse would :accumulate in the rear lower quarter and would not be :subject to consolidation. Furthermore by spacing the packer sufciently from the aperture 18, the flow of refuse therethrough is in no way impeded; nor is there required complicated mechanisms to coordinate with the tiow of refuse into the truck body as required when the packer location is adjacent the aperture from the hopper to the truck body.

Piston valve 5@ is retained in the upper position for a sufiicient time period to cause the piston 3S to complete its full upward reciprocation, whereupon further translatory movement of button 53 permits the valve 50 to descend reversing the pressure dierential in the cylinder 37. With the pressure differential on the diaphragm acting downward, piston head 43 is retracted to assume the normal position with the packer abutting the base 14.

It should be further noted that the base 14 is horizontally planar creating no pockets Where refuse can accumulate and not be subjected to the packing action. Moreover, the arcuate movement of the packer 4S closely parallels the shape of the rear wall 13 further preventingV Conversely when the valve 50 is in the 4 any refuse accumulation between the packer and the rearwall13.

Obviously the spacing and number of lifters 29 and buttons 53 can be varied as desired to predetermine the ratio of refuse deposited on the packer to packer movements.

Thus it is apparent that in the instant invention the loading and compacting mechanisms are automatically coordinated Ito provide maximum consolidation and load ing and prevent the accumulation of uncompacted refuse without resorting to complicated devices.

I have here shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It will be apparent, however, that this invention is not limited to this embodiment and that many changes, additions and modifications can be made in connection therewith without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described the nature of the invention what is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A refuse truck comprising a refuse storing cham ber having intersecting rear and bottom walls including a pivoted hopper separated from the chamber by a hopper Wall and an aperture through the hopper wall spaced vertically from the bottom wall for the passage of refuse therethrough, in combination with a motor operated endless chain moving longitudinally in the hopper and including refuse lifters urging the refuse through the aperture, in further combination with a refuse compacting plate pivoted to the bottom wall at one end and another plate end adjacent the rear wall, including a hydraulically actuated piston periodically acting on the plate to cause periodical pivotal reciprocation, including means periodically responsive to the chain movement,` hydraulically actuating the piston according to a specific sequence.

2. A refuse truck as in claim l wherein the hopper wall is inclined towards the truck front and the last said means comprise a piston diaphragm responsive to presf sure diierentials, including a valve for controlling the pressure differentials, and a valve actuator mounted on the chain and acting on the Valve whereby the valve is moved to positions causing the piston tov move in a spe- N citc reciprocatory sequence.

3. A refuse truck as in claim l wherein the rear wall is inclined towards the truck front and the piston is mounted on the bottom wall, and the plate normally abuts the bottom wall.

4. A refuse truck comprising a refuse storing chamber having intersecting rear and bottom walls, including a pivoted tailgate hopper separated from the chamber by a hopper wall, an aperture through the hopper wall spaced from the bottom wall for the passage of refuse, in cornbination with a refuse lifter in the hopper urging the refuse through the aperture including a compacting means adjacent the intersecting walls, said compacting means comprising a plate pivoted to the bottom wall and means for periodically causing the plate to pivot away from and towards said walls.

5. A refuse truck comprising a refuse storing chamber having intersecting rear and bottom walls, including a pivoted tailgate hopper separated from the chamber by a hopper wall, an aperture through the hopper wall spaced from the bottom wall for the passage of refuse, in

combination with a'refuse lifter in the hopper urging theV refuse through kthe aperture' including a compacting means adjacent the intersecting walls, said compacting means comprising a plate pivoted to the bottom wall including a periodically reciprocable piston acting on the plate to cause pivotal motion relative to the bottom wall.

6. A refuse truck comprising a refuse storing chamber having intersecting rear and bottom walls, including a pivoted tailgate hopper separated from the chamber by a hopper wall, an aperture through the hopper Wall spaced from the bottom wall for the passage of refuse,

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said refuse to be urged upwardly and inwardly into said chamber.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rottee June 22, 1937 Linde Mar. 25, 1952 Reitz Apr. 13, 1954 Calamore Oct. 19, 1954 

